


Gratitude

by Amikotsu



Category: Naruto
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Banter, Childhood Friends, Kannabi Bridge Mission, M/M, Rivalry, Shaky Hands, Teaser Story, Tumblr Prompt, Whumptober
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-24
Updated: 2019-09-24
Packaged: 2020-10-27 07:29:02
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 561
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20756621
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Amikotsu/pseuds/Amikotsu
Summary: Obito learns what it means to stand up for himself and protect his precious people, but Kakashi doesn't understand the damn concept of gratitude. What a jerk.





	Gratitude

He couldn’t breathe. His mind registered the lack of oxygen, the fight to inhale, the battle to exhale. Black crept into his vision, outlining the edges of the world before him. At some point, the kunai he had been holding had slipped from his hand, landing on the bare earth with a dull thud. He stumbled forward a few steps, one hand outstretched toward his teammate, but his fingers barely made contact with the fabric of the boy’s shirt. The blood-stained fabric passed over his quivering fingertips, and he was unable to grasp, incapable of anything more than a passive touch; he watched the boy collapse, first to one knee, then to two. He waited for their sensei to appear, because the man _always_ appeared, but some part of him knew they would have been waiting a long time for an appearance that was no longer guaranteed. He felt as if he were moving in slow motion, but he knew that he couldn’t stand there anymore, that he couldn’t let the Iwa nin finish the job. They were shinobi. The fact that he and Kakashi were thirteen, likely two decades younger than the squad of Iwa nin they’d encountered, no longer mattered, and hadn’t mattered for some time. He registered the fact that they would likely die there, both of them unable to rescue their third teammate, unable to rescue the girl he loved more than anything in the world, but he couldn’t regret taking a stand. Somehow, if either of them survived, Kakashi needed to survive, and Obito came to that conclusion easily, effortlessly.

Though the kunai he drew seemed to vibrate in his shaking hands, he refused to step aside. Even when red overtook his world, even when the first strike hit him in a diagonal line, from his left shoulder to his gut, he refused to roll over and die. The moment the world bathed itself in red, he knew his sharingan had activated, but he had little time to perfect the dojutsu, little time to match attacks with counterattacks. Kakashi grabbed the back of Obito’s shirt, pulling harshly, demanding the Uchiha get out of the way, even though Kakashi had one eye and a hole in his gut. Kakashi took the lead. Kakashi climbed the ranks. Not Obito. Never Obito. But something had shifted, and the dynamics had changed, if only for those moments, if only in that fight. Obito had never killed someone before, but when he jammed the kunai into the enemy’s throat, when he put everything he had into that one swift motion, he felt the stirrings of satisfaction and relief. And suddenly it was blood bathing his hands, slipping between shaking fingers, sliding down along his palms. He had a little more red in his world, but Obito could breathe again.

“I did it,” Obito spoke, eyes wide with disbelief. He turned to look at Kakashi, as if seeking praise, but he found none. One hand pressed over his left eye, Kakashi forced himself to his feet. Obito frowned and dropped the bloody kunai to the ground. The sound of the metal connecting with the ground seemed to draw the boy’s attention. Kakashi stared at him, lone eye narrowed, a deep frown in place. “What’s that look for?”

“You’re an idiot.”

“Show some gratitude! I just saved your life!”

“Keep telling yourself that.”

**Author's Note:**

> Whumptober hasn't started yet, but this is a teaser and not an official entry. This is my first time participating and I'm absolutely thrilled. If anyone is considering participating, do it! It's worth it. Anyway, I tried writing and this is what I got. Ugh. So short.


End file.
